Baseball: Maine South edges New Trier on weather rule

Updated: May 3, 2012 8:34PM

Maine South can thank Mother Nature for its latest win Thursday.

The Hawks beat New Trier 3-2 in Park Ridge for their 16th victory in a row after the game was called due to weather.

The Trevians were leading 5-3 through the top of the sixth, but the Hawks didn’t have a chance to complete its at-bat in the bottom half of the inning before lightning halted play. Rain and hail followed, and the umpires signaled the end. According to the rules, the score reverts back to the most recently completed inning, which wiped out New Trier’s comeback against the CSL South-leading Hawks, who improved to 20-3 overall and 10-0 in the conference.

“We were ready to fight until the end, but it doesn’t matter how it ends, as long as we win,” said Frank Perrone, the latest hero for the Hawks.

Two days after Keenan Kelly delivered the game-winning hit in Tuesday’s 4-2 win over the Trevians, Perrone hit a two-strike, two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth for the deciding margin.

It was the junior’s first homer in his first varsity season.

“I knew he was going to try and blow me away with a fastball,” Perrone said of New Trier starter Austin Zimmerman. “But I got around on it. That puts us in a good place to win the game.”

New Trier (14-7, 6-4) rallied with three runs in the top of the sixth, courtesy of Zimmerman’s two-run single and Campbell Lipe’s sacrifice fly. But the Trevians can blame the thunderstorm for spoiling their upset bid.

John Forsythe earned the win, pitching into the sixth. Zimmerman took the hard-luck loss.

Sean Visconti gave New Trier an early 2-0 lead with his two-out double in the third.

Kelly started the fourth with a walk before Nick Calabrese singled with one out. Following a strikeout, Perrone, who started the season on the bench, homered over the left-field fence.

The Hawks have a huge league series next week against Glenbrook South, which started the day two games back of Maine South. The Hawks are sure to see Indiana-bound Sully Stadler at least one of the games.

“We just have to keep taking care of our own business,” Maine South coach Bill Milano said. “We don’t need to get caught up watching the scoreboards.”

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